A shocking stat from Public Health England says that one-third of all alcohol consumption in the UK is from only 4.4 percent of the population. In contrast, about one in five in the UK does not drink at all.

While the risk for teens to drink or binge with alcohol, or use drugs, are influenced by environment, new research suggests that genetics play an increasing role in these choices as someone gets older.

If you’re a millennial or a baby boomer, the demographic groups that drink the most, you might be surprised at how much your alcohol habit costs. While millennials make up about a quarter of people over 21 in the U.S., they buy 35 percent of beer sold and 42 percent of wine.

In a first of its kind clinical study in London, the synthetic drug MDMA will be tested for its ability to treat alcoholism. Twenty volunteers who are heavy drinkers will attend eight therapy sessions. In two of the sessions, they will be given MDMA.

An injectable biosensor chip that detects alcohol levels in the body has been developed by engineers at the University of California San Diego. The low-power chip is tiny, measuring only 1 cubic millimetre. Patients in alcohol and substance abuse programs may benefit from the invention that does not require surgery to implant.

People with a family history of alcoholism may develop a tolerance to alcohol that causes them to drink more in order to feel the same effects, says a study from the Indiana University School of Medicine.